The Triangle Bikeway has been in the works for a couple of years; after a public hearing on Wednesday, it’s one step closer to being built.

The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization moved forward in the planning process for the 23-mile pedestrian and bicycle multi-use path.

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Pedestrians on the American Tobacco Trail in Durham Wednesday were excited about the possibility of crossing the Triangle without a car.

Julie and Mikko Nissinen spend a lot of time walking with their baby and dog; Mikko also just bought a bike.

"I haven’t actually been able to ride it yet, with the baby and the dog. So hopefully today, tomorrow maybe, I’ll finally be able to test drive it!" Mikko Nissinen said.

The couple loves the plan for the Triangle Bikeway, which would be set back from the road. The path is proposed to run from Chapel Hill to Raleigh along the I-40/N.C. Highway 54 corridor.

"The noise would be better too," Julie Nissinen said.

Durham resident Tessie Castillo hikes along the American Tobacco Trail every weekday.

"I’m training for a big trip to Portugal this summer," Castillo said.

She’s thrilled about the possibility of more cyclist-friendly infrastructure.

"I actually don’t own a car, so I have to take the bus or bike places, and it would be amazing to be able to get from Chapel Hill to Raleigh without a car," Castillo said. "I have a daughter too, and I often take her biking. I don’t feel comfortable taking her on roads, so it would be really nice to have a trail that is set off so it’s just safer for her, and more beautiful."

Local non-profit Bike Durham has been involved in the planning process for the Triangle Bikeway, and they’re excited about the project.

However, Executive Director John Tallmedge believes other projects in Durham County should come first.

"In Durham, we have a lot of streets and neighborhoods that don’t have safe sidewalk connections, protected bicycle connections like this one on East Main Street, that allow people to walk or bike to their job," Tallmedge said. "Families can’t walk to the nearest school, an elementary or middle school, because those facilities aren’t there."

Tallmedge wants to make sure money is earmarked for connecting the bike lanes and sidewalks around Durham.

"We don’t want to see our limited dollars that exist today to have that leapfrog over a lot of these local neighborhood connections that really are important to people’s lives," he said.

Durham County Commissioner Wendy Jacobs is part of the DCHC, and she participated in Wednesday’s public hearing.

She says after June’s approval, the groups involved will begin looking at funding sources.

Jacobs says funding could come from many different avenues.

"A lot of the bike pedestrian corridor will be built within NCDOT right-of-way which will save us a lot of money," Jacobs said.

You can learn more about the Triangle Bikeway study here.